Santa Barbara Sun
by sarah hobbit
Summary: If only they knew how the other felt. Lisbon was trying to move on, unsuccessfully so far, if only she hadnt started dreaming ever since Red John's death. Jisbon fluffy first fanfic. Disclaimer the mentalist isnt mine, I just appreciate
1. Chapter 1

Lisbon looked sadly across the room, at least he looked happy.

She didn't have anything against Patrick Jane's new girlfriend, she was glad he eventually was moving on with his life, she was just disappointed it wasn't with her.

Lucy seemed nice enough; Teresa Lisbon just hoped no one got hurt. But then they were all adults, it was their choice, she thought as she resigned herself. Sighing she tried to ignore the noise from the bullpen and turned back to the paperwork. She would just have to get on with her life, and stop daydreaming, real life is tough, she's been through worse.

X

It had been a hard case, finally cracking it late Friday, Teresa was exhausted. The paperwork would wait til Saturday. "I need a drink, anyone feel like joining me?"

She was thankful for the company of the team but more thankful Jane had plans with Lucy. She was fine but after the week they'd had, she just wanted to relax.

Van Pelt was looking worried, darn it she'd forgotten to keep her mask up while they were getting another round in at the bar. "Boss, are you ok?"

Oh no, I could really do without this right now, but then who else could she talk to? "Not really, but I'm getting there thanks."

"It's tough seeing them together isn't it?"

"I sometimes forget how insightful you are Van Pelt. Yeah it is, but I'm just keeping myself focused. I thought we might have had something, but I guess I got it wrong. Maybe I should start dating. It's not like he ever showed any definite interest in me, he was more into a murderer at one point for goodness sake. I need to move on. We just work together. I wish I never looked up the rule about co-workers dating, I pinned too many hopes that as a consultant it didn't cover him. I guess it wouldn't have been the best idea anyway. He always winds me up, gets us into trouble with the DA's office for all of his ridiculous schemes, if he didn't close so many cases he would've been fired years ago."

"True. Well if you want to put those thoughts into action, I might know someone who's right up your street."

"Wow, um yeah, that would be good. I guess I might as well start living life again." Teresa smiled; it would be nice to have something outside of work to talk about. Something new to focus on, distract her from Jane.

As they headed back to Cho and Rigsby, she was feeling a lot more hopeful than she had been in years.

X

Patrick Jane stretched out on the couch, thinking about where to take Lucy next. Smiling, he thought why not keep it simple, the coffeehouse down the street did a great Danish pastry. After a while, he wondered why Lisbon hadn't kicked his couch recently. They had a case in motion, but oddly she hadn't seemed as stressed as usual. He opened an eye as she left her office, leaving the CBI? That was odd, she didn't usually take lunch this early. He stored it away to think about later.

Meeting Lucy out the front of the CBI, they greeted with a kiss. He only saw her last night but she intrigued him, and was astonishingly beautiful. As they walked down to the coffeehouse, he did a double-take, surely that wasn't who he thought it was. Teresa Lisbon smiling, laughing, flirting with a handsome stranger? They kept walking, but he couldn't get the mystery man out of his mind, who was he? He tried to focus on Lucy, throwing slightly more effort into their conversation to cover up his thoughts. He was annoyed, why hadn't she told him about the date? Moreover why hadn't he noticed, actually he hadn't noticed her much at all recently. Well he guessed perhaps Lucy was keeping him occupied, everyone has to switch off eventually. He had gotten so used to seeing Lisbon around, he had stopped noticing her. He'd forgotten how beautifully her face lit up when she smiled.

X

Teresa smiled to herself, pleased how well Van Pelt must know her, even more pleased meeting Nathan had gone so well. He was certainly attractive, which threw her slightly as she smiled and introduced herself, trying not to blush. She was glad not to have to worry about talking shop with him, he worked in geophysics, whatever that was, and he was grounded and seemed generally nice, particularly with those deep, soulful eyes. Although they only met for a while she was looking forward to seeing him again, they'd agreed on dinner in a couple of days. She just prayed work wouldn't take her away from Sacramento.

X

"Jane, can I get your input on this witness please?" she asked as she stood over his couch. Relieved she had some work to focus on.

"Lisbon" he smiled, glad of the intrusion. "Anything for you. How was your date?"

That unsettled her; even after so long working with Jane surely even he wasn't that good. "How did you know?"

"Well nothing too impressive, I just saw you talking with someone while I was at lunch"

"Ah. It was good thanks, think we're going to meet up later this week for dinner."

"Great. Well if the witness is Daniel Jones, he didn't do it." He sank inside, she seemed genuinely happy. Why wasn't he happy for her? He hadn't spent much time with her recently, maybe he just missed her. That must be it.

X

Teresa Lisbon was cursing, Patrick smiled, it amused him when she let loose a general rant at the universe, at least it wasn't at him. He took the opportunity to get her a coffee, he could always use some favour in her book.

"Why is it when I finally get a date, someone gets murdered?" all she wanted was some semblance of a normal life. At least Nathan had understood, she hoped whenever they got back to Sacramento they could meet up again, she hadn't met anyone like that in a while. She remembered now why she didn't usually date, she was already married to the damn CBI.

"Now Lisbon, I hardly think just because you made plans it directly led to this man's death." Jane smiled wryly. He was secretly pleased. As happy as Lisbon looked earlier talking with that man, he couldn't help wishing it had been him making her smile. He would have walked in on them before if it hadn't been for Lucy. "Look on the bright side, now you get to see the sights of Santa Barbara with me. Meet you at the airport in an hour?"

Lisbon sighed, just what she was hoping to avoid. Nathan was a welcome distraction, but she was hoping to keep her distance from Jane for a little longer, if just to help her heart heal that little bit more. She had only allowed herself one evening of wallowing on the sofa with ice-cream. She had to stay focused, work should help with that, Patrick Jane is still strictly off limits, despite her checks of interoffice dating. "Sure. Hopefully it will be a short trip though, we don't want Lucy missing you too much."

That reminded Patrick, he needed to give her a call. As nice as she was, something was missing. "Oh I don't think its working out. Besides, the CBI is harsh mistress enough. See you in an hour."

Great she thought. Now she could go back to blaming herself for not being what Patrick Jane was looking for. It was almost better when he preferred someone else. Now she had to go back to her own inadequacies. Work. Work work work. She tried to focus again. There was always the hope of Nathan, he did seem genuinely interested in her. She hoped that would be enough to get her through the next few days.

X

Patrick Jane felt much better after breaking it off with Lucy. She was a nice distraction, but lacked substance. He did feel strange after Van Pelt caught him watching Lisbon sleep on the flight though. He tried to disguise it but guessed he was as transparent as he felt. He had been doing a lot of thinking lately. Much of it about the raven haired beauty next to him. His best friend, who had been through much, who always knew what to do, who trusted him. He couldn't lose that, lose her. They had such a happy equilibrium, why should he try to change it? For the risk of knowing her completely? Seeing her with that guy the other day had definitely awoken the green monster in him. He wanted her to be happy, but happy with him, in his arms. He couldn't bear the thought of her sharing someone else's bed, giving birth to their children. Patrick had the suspicion unless he did something soon, that might very well happen. He had to take the risk, he couldn't risk losing her.


	2. Chapter 2

As the plane touched down in Santa Barbara, Patrick Jane couldn't help smiling as Lisbon woke up with a start. He was amazed how she could go from angelic to cute to grumpy within a split second.

Despite the team already knowing their tasks when they reached the crime scene, Lisbon added some last minute thoughts. "Thanks guys for taking this case, I know it isn't our usual patch so far south, but Im sure they will appreciate it."

"Im just looking forward to the sunshine, maybe even a trip to the beach after the case has been closed." Van Pelt hoped.

"That sounds good, I cant remember the last time I took a holiday." Even over Christmas I was looking over cold case files, perhaps I should book some leave. "Well after we check out the crime scene, so Cho, Jane if you can start follow ups on the witnesses, Van Pelt if you liaise with the local PD, Rigsby we'll talk to his employers. We can use the hotel as a base for now until the local PD set us up with an office."

The team were used to working in different roles, but Jane still noticed. Was she keeping her distance from him on purpose?

X

As it turned out, the case only took a couple of days to solve, much quicker than Lisbon had expected. "Thanks guys for your work this week, you've been outstanding." She really was so proud of them, and thankful no one had mentioned she tried to avoid working with Jane. She hoped they hadn't noticed, even if they had she wished they wouldn't say anything. It was still painful seeing him around, but she did manage to keep herself professional, if distant. "I'll get onto the airline, see when we can head back to Sacramento."

"No rush boss." Rigsby said with a grin, he hadn't been to this part of California before and enjoyed the sunshine.

"Seems like someone is on your side Rigsby. Im afraid they're fully booked until Friday morning, unbelievable, its only Wednesday." Lisbon sighed, so much for a few days away, she'll have to call Nathan after lunch. Maybe he wouldn't mind so much, he did seem genuinely into her when they first met. She was looking forward to a second date, trying to stop thinking of her charming consultant, charming, gorgeous, best friend of a consultant. Who didn't want her the way she wanted him. It had helped not seeing him so much the past couple of days, especially keeping things focused on work, despite his best efforts otherwise.

"Great! Maybe after lunch we could hit the beach, I haven't been in so long." Van Pelt smiled, it was infectious that smile, Teresa found she could hardly say no to such enthusiasm. "Sure that would be great. We might as well make the best of the situation. How about we grab our things then head down that way, I think there are some cafes down that way."

"I'll bring some beers, Jane do you want to give me a hand?" Cho asked. He couldn't think of a nicer afternoon than a book and some beers on a beach.

X

Jane was glad of the distraction. Teresa was definitely trying to stay away from him. What had he done this time? He was pretty sure he hadn't wound up anyone on this case, which was a rarity. Maybe it was a case of what hadn't he done? No, still no idea.

"Cho, have you noticed anything odd about Lisbon lately?" as much as it pained him to admit it, he was drawing a blank.

Cho rolled his eyes, when would they stop this charade, it had been years. "Why have you noticed something?"

"Perhaps, I can't quite put my finger on it though. Maybe I'm getting rusty."

Something in Cho broke, he would probably regret this rant, but it needed saying in his eyes. "Or maybe you can't see what's right in front of you? You know Lisbon is in love with you right? When are you gonna stop treating her like she doesn't matter? You keep leading her on, flirting with her every time she tries to heal herself. Ever since Red John's death it's been obvious, she's been trying to continue by putting on this professional mask. I wouldn't be surprised if she's considering moving, she's strong but maybe she needs a fresh start. I hope she doesn't, she belongs here."

Jane was shell-shocked. He couldn't believe it. Cho continued "I'm sorry man, it needed saying. Just stop hurting her, I guess you probably didn't realise it from the look on your face."

"No." Patrick replied quietly, "I had no idea. For some great observer I don't pay attention to the people who matter do I." After the adrenaline high of closing the case, this definitely brought him back to earth with a bump. How could he have been so blind? He knew he had always cared for Lisbon, he promised he would always be there to save her. But wasn't that just what partners did? It was only after he saw her in that coffee shop, smiling at that other man, blushing at that other man, that he had started to consider he didn't want Teresa anywhere else but in his arms. And now he realised just how much he had been hurting the woman he loved. Now he understood why it was called heartache, he had to grip the wall to stop himself falling.

"Come on man, lets get these beers in." Cho sighed, the agony on Jane's face betrayed him, Van Pelt had been right about what she saw on the plane.

X

Jane was still trying to decide what to do as he and Cho joined Van Pelt, Rigsby and Lisbon. The beach was fairly busy but still had the calm of midweek.

"Great, we've been waiting for those." Rigsby exclaimed, the hot weather had been present all week, this was just what he needed. He was even happier to be next to Van Pelt, they were being extremely careful this time, it wouldn't do for Wainwright to separate them, they each loved the team too much.

"Hey Lisbon" Jane tried to break the ice. He tried to sound calm, despite the turbulent nerves he felt. He still couldn't quite believe what Cho had said to him earlier.

"Oh hi Jane." She smiled, she still couldn't help it. Whenever Patrick Jane was around, she felt this pull, like all the clichés were true, no one else mattered. "Thanks for your help with the case, its good to have everything wrapped up quickly. Im sorry you've got to hang around here though, you must have a hot date or two to get back to?" She tried to make it sound like she wasn't bothered, wasn't hooked on his reply.

"No, I don't think I'll see Lucy again. Im holding out for someone special." He was thankful he could hide behind his sunglasses, she would of seen through him for sure if she had caught how adoringly he was looking at her. "What about you, you must be looking forward to seeing that guy again?" Surely Cho wasn't right?

"Yeah, he seems interesting, genuine. Still too early to be sure of anything of course." Teresa closed up, it felt strange talking to Jane about Nathan, or about anything other than work.

Now that Jane was paying attention, he could see it, the way she was hurting behind the façade, her mask was slipping. What could he do? How could he persuade her to give him a chance after he had obviously been hurting her for far too long.

The others were getting settled, the guys shirtless and Van Pelt was wearing a bikini, boss could you help me with the suncream? Jane smiled, at least this time Van Pelt and Rigsby thought they weren't being so obvious. His smile suddenly dropped as he realised Teresa Lisbon had also planned ahead. He couldn't believe her grace as she slipped off her shirt and shorts, her dark green bikini flattering her curves. He was stunned. He tried to focus, he really didn't want to be caught staring. He unbuttoned his shirt too as she finished helping Van Pelt. "Jane, do you want some?"

"Sure if you wouldn't mind doing my back?" He gulped, loving the feel of her hands caressing his skin. Trying to limit his reaction was a lot harder than he thought.

Teresa tried not to think she was touching Jane like this, she wasn't allowed to think that way. He didn't want her. She just had to focus, unfortunately her fall back of work had run out. But when he offered to return the favour, he seemed to linger much longer than she had, he was gentle. She smiled a thank you. He must have just been thorough. That's it. That must be it.

The rest of the afternoon was like heaven to the team. They rarely got chance to relax together, between sunbathing, dips in the sea, and light reading it was a great afternoon. As the sun was getting lower in the sky, they decided to head back. Jane was glad of some time to think. He had decided now, he had to risk it. He just had to hope Teresa hadn't moved on yet, what Cho had said had not only made him feel like the guiltiest man in California, but had heartened him, perhaps he could hope.

X

They all decided to try the Italian round the corner from the hotel for dinner. Jane had picked it for the live band. He knew Teresa couldn't turn down a dance request, and he felt much better having her in his arms. It gave him the courage to take a risk. "You look beautiful tonight Teresa."

She was shocked. Even more shocked when she realised he wasn't joking or trying to make anyone else jealous, he was just being honest. She blushed, thankful for him leading to cover her surprise. "Thank you" she whispered. Unable to break away from his gaze, she often got lost in his eyes. He twirled her away, both of them enjoying the dance, though hardly noticing the music. She was snapped back to reality when Jane stopped, of course the music, she tried to clap the band to cover up her response.

"Would you like a drink?" Jane offered, looking over at the rest of the team they seemed happy to joke amongst themselves. Relieved to see her smile.

As they were served he felt unable to put it off any longer. "Teresa, there's something I've been meaning to tell you, though I've only realised it recently." How could he make this sound any less cheesy.

Oh no, Teresa thought. He's leaving isn't he. I've finally driven him away. She hoped it wasn't to go back to the casino circuit, pretending to be a psychic again.

"You are amazing, you're my best friend, I trust you with my life, and Im sorry if this hurts you but I just had to say something, before I end up losing you." Patrick hoped the look of confusion on her face was a good sign. "I love you Teresa Lisbon. I think I have for much longer than I've realised. Im so sorry for all that Ive put you through. Please let me make it up to you, for as long as you'll have me." He meant every word. Searching her eyes for a hint of a response, she was still so difficult to read. "Teresa?"

She was shocked, "You don't mean that. Is this all some elaborate joke? Please don't be cruel Jane, I thought you were better than this."

His hand moved swiftly to catch her wrist before she could walk away, while his other hand cupped her face gently. Looking deep into her eyes, partly to make sure he wouldn't get punched again, Patrick Jane put all of his longing, his adoration and love into their first tender kiss. Teresa was mesmerised. He meant it? He really loved her? Jane stepped back, "I'll understand if you never want to see me again, just say the word." Looking at the floor he sighed, before seeing two feet in front of him. Looking up to see her eyes, he hadn't felt so alive in years. They melted into each other as Teresa returned the kiss, drinks forgotten as Patrick ran his hands through her hair, marvelling at the feel of her against his body. Still in disbelief, Teresa pulled back to look at him, her arms round his neck, and couldn't stop smiling.

Loud woops and claps were coming from across the room, both Patrick and Teresa blushed as they realised it was Van Pelt, Rigsby and Cho, with smiles as big as their own.


End file.
